What caliber of air rifle pellet should I use to hunt dove?

I would recommend crossman pointed pellets they kill easily and are durable

Assuming its legal to shoot dove/pigeon with an air-rifle in your state, you should use whichever one you prefer. .17, .20, .22, and .25 caliber pellets are all perfectly capable of killing dove/pigeon. Generally speaking .20 and .25 caliber are relatively rare, so you’re better off with either a .17 or .22. Again generally speaking a .17 caliber pellet will have a flatter trajectory because it usually has a higher muzzle velocity. .22 caliber will generally arrive down range with a bit more energy because of its greater weight helps with energy retention. However both calibers can deliver enough energy to kill pigeon/dove.

Honestly, I think I’d go with .17 caliber in this instance. There are more models of airguns available in it. The ammunition is significantly cheaper (300 rounds for $3 at Walmarts vs. 175 rounds for $5). The ammunition is more plentiful (lets face it stores like Walmarts stock more types of .17 caliber pellets vs. .22 caliber pellets).

@OkieRoadhunter
The Migratory Bird Treaty of 1918 only covers certain species of doves/pigeons. (Looks like the list of doves protected by the treaty includes the Inca, Columbina inca, Mourning, Zenaida macroura, White-tipped, Leptotila verreauxi, White-winged, Zenaida asiatica, Zenaida, Zenaida aurita.) If a species is not on the list and airguns are a legal method of taking small game birds in your state you can shoot it with an airgun.

It is illegal to hunt doves with a pellet gun in the US, Canada, or Mexico. They are covered under a migratory bird treaty, and may only be taken with a shotgun that holds 3 or fewer shells. There are no exceptions to this.

And, JKirsch is not right. When a federal law exists, there is no reason to check state law. In no state in the USA can anyone hunt any dove at any time with a rifle, and a pellet gun is a rifle.

You must use a shotgun for migratory birds.

Texas hunting annual

Doves (please report leg bands to 1-800-327-BAND): Migratory game bird stamp endorsement required to hunt any doves in any season. NOTE: There is no closed season or bag limit restrictions for Eurasian collared-doves or common pigeons (rock doves); however, it is recommended that plumage be left on these birds for identification purposes.

a shotgun is the only legal firearm for hunting migratory game birds and lesser prairie chicken (see Definitions – Legal Shotgun, pg. 69).

Legal Shotgun: Shotguns not larger than 10 gauge, fired from the shoulder, and incapable of holding more than three shells (shotguns capable of holding more than three shells must be plugged with a one-piece filler which is incapable of removal without disassembling the gun, so the gun’s total capacity does not exceed three shells).